Trust your Tribe
How often do you stop and think that you are an animal? Daily, once in a while or maybe never?
In the scheme of things and the hundreds of thousands of years that have gone by in the past, modern man is a fairly recent descendant from our monkey ancestors. And, it is only over the last hundred years that we have changed the way our brains work compared to those of our ancestors. We have lost much of our survival instinct and place within our tribe and replaced it with the conveniences of our current age.
In a time of lawsuits and legal claims, our children have a far less free childhood than that of our parents’ generation or those before them.
Although they are brought up in safe environments to replace their physical safety, we put their mental safety in jeopardy by providing them with devices which give them access to the World Wide Web of information, people and ideas.
In turn, our lives are pretty much computer-controlled, from a visit to the doctor and its documentation to the social media we receive daily on our portable devices.
How did our ancestors cope with problems they were wrestling within their minds?
They largely had better communities and watched over each other, offering protection and sitting on long dark nights talking, singing, dancing and playing games. We have lost this art of communication, talking at dinner, visiting our neighbours for a cup of tea or saying a casually ‘Hello’ to someone on the street.
Finding someone you can trust and confide in is not always easy. Families can be flippant or dismissive of your genuine inner concerns.
When not addressed, these concerns can grow and spread through your mind and body and, at times, they become obsessions.
The desire to communicate and share is a wonderful trait of humans.
It is something we should keep alive and cherish in the busy lives we lead. Find time to talk, share and create. Do something different to inspire yourself. Kick start your imagination that has been lying dormant since childhood. Do a doodle even if you feel you can’t draw, sing if it makes you happy or have a dance in your kitchen to a favourite tune.
How about a family ritual of regular games nights with no TV or devices or, a storytelling night with older family members to pass precious tales down the generations?
We must not lose sight of what we are, were, and of what we have become. We must make the most of every opportunity to talk and conjure up new ideas with our imaginations, and therefore make the very best of ourselves each and every day.
Nicola Warner
www.nicolawarner.com
